For many children, learning to ride a bicycle is a rite of passage. One moment, they’re teetering every which way down the sidewalk. The next, an exquisite feeling of control takes hold and soon the wheels are flashing, with spokes a blur beneath the child’s feet.

In "The Inconsistent Pedaler," which Pilobolus Dance Theater will unveil this week at the Joyce Theater in New York, the bicycle becomes a vehicle that a young girl rides into adulthood while the act of pedaling becomes a metaphor for life itself. Another novelty, titled "On the Nature of Things," will appear on a separate program during this acrobatic dance-theater company’s annual summertime engagement, and both programs will include an assortment of repertory favorites.

Israeli fiction writer Etgar Keret and his wife, actress and director Shira Geffen, collaborated with the dancers and choreographers to produce "The Inconsistent Pedaler," which promises to renew Pilobolus’ reputation for intriguing audiences with odd stories that blend elements of humor and mystery. In addition to the pedaler, whose strenuous efforts cranking her bicycle’s oily gears appear to be the only thing keeping her family alive, the cast includes an attractive stranger who arrives to tempt her and instruct her.

The family includes parents, a grandfather and a baby, all loosely inspired by Keret and Geffen’s own relationships and acquaintances. "The pedaler, in a sense, is a combination of Shira and me," says Keret. "We are the pedalers … the ones who keep the family going" by running errands, staying in touch with relatives and mediating disputes.

While these responsibilities may at times seem burdensome, he says they are also a source of joy. Keret emphasizes that a person chooses whether to feel enriched or victimized by the same circumstances.

Extending the bicycle metaphor, he says, "You can ride a bicycle and say, ‘Oh, my God, I should buy a car.’ And you can ride a bicycle and say, ‘Wow, I feel the wind in my face.’ I think that being, let’s say, a very active family member, you could experience it in those different ways, too."

Keret and Geffen are accustomed to collaborations, having worked together to produce the award-winning film "Jellyfish" (2007) and teaming with other artists on projects that have ranged from theater plays to graphic novels. Although Geffen had past experience working with Israeli choreographer Emanuel Gat, Keret says collaborating with a dance company was new and challenging for him.

After batting around ideas in Pilobolus’ Connecticut studios while the dancers improvised, he and Geffen returned to Israel to sketch out a plot.

"The idea was not to write a story and adapt it to the stage," he says, "but to build a basic mise-en-scène and the infrastructure from which a story could come out."

Speaking about the collaborative process, he adds, "The things you don’t control and the fact you disagree on stuff is what makes it so exciting."